You wouldn’t be able to ask me the question above…because I do and I am biased. But luckily there are a quite a few of my kind who do love good Pinotage, and with an better understanding of the grape and the vine, a whole new generation of wine lovers will be seeing much more of these examples.
Abraham Izak Perlod was born in the Cape and schooled here in our own home town, Wellington. His life story sounds like something between Indiana Jones and Darwin. Imagine being asked by the government to go and expand the Capes range of grape varieties… After a scouting mission he brought some varieties back from overseas (a whole 177), but then he also started establishing new ones. Pinotage was borne from a crossing between Pinot noir and Cinsaut. Unlikely parent to this special local grape.
I have always felt that we have a very special connection with Pinotage here in Wellington. We have ample sunlight and a long growing season that fits Pinotage very well (not taking away that there are some awesome cool climate Pinotages out there). The vineyards that we use for the production of our Bosman Family Vineyards Pinotage, is from the farm Lelienfontein in Wellington. It is the same vineyard that is used in the production of the Wellington Wines La Cave Pinotage (a connection that we are very proud of).
We went to the vineyard on Monday to have a look at the grapes before harvest. I`ve added a video of Heinie Nel, our viticulturist, on his thoughts about the 2012 growing season in regards to the Pinotage. Will keep you updated on the harvest itself in the next post.
*Disclaimer: For more lovely news and facts on Pinotage please consult the new South Africa Pinotage Wine Guide published by the Pinotage Association and also Peter May`s book “Pinotage : Behind the Legends of South Africa`s Own Wine”
We have had a lovely breather from the hot weather of end of January. We actually had some rain on Friday evening and a really cool weekend in the cellar. We are hoping that the grapes, that have become more sugar ripe the last few weeks, will now also have the opportunity to mature in regards to crunchy pips, soft skins and grape flavour maturity.
So our weekend in pictures. The view from my cellar window: cloudy and cool – just after the night’s rain.
While we were pressing, some of Elsenburg Agricultural college’s students came by for a tasting. Happy to report an enthusiastic and eager group. I wish them well with their viticulture and oenology studies for this coming year. May you learn that in wine, one never ceases to learn!
Sunday morning saw the drawing off of some lovely clear juice to start fermenting our Chardonnay from our De Bos farm in the Upper Hemel –en –Aarde Valley. The grapes are from high density bush vines surrounded by fynbos and some of the most beautiful surroundings known to the wine world. Hoping we will do the area justice with the wine we are pampering.
Most of us have seen the wine movie Sideways. At the time when I saw it, I hadn’t made Pinot Noir before. So here we are… The first grapes from our high density Pinot Noir plantings are in the cellar. Here is my #captainslog on the grapes coming in.
I thought I`d add the transcript from the movie of Miles`s explanation on why he is so into Pinot Noir:
“It’s a hard grape to grow. As you know. Right? It’s, uh, it’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s, you know, it’s not a survivor like cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it’s neglected. No, pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And, in fact, it can only grow in these really specific, little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand pinot’s potential can then coax it into its fullest expression.”
Yesterday, late evening, I went to see her. I knew it would be sunny earlier on, and she would maybe not want to see me before – she`s flashy that way. I took my daughter with because Nelleke loves listening to new stories and being shown around.
As I sat in her company I knew that she looked so much younger than her years, everything about her so well kept and groomed. She has some signs of the times, but put her on the cover of a glossy mag, and she`ll turn heads for sure.
By her well-formed legs I can see that she loves dancing in the wind – you know, those fancy steps when no one is watching.
Where you come from is key, your roots, she told me… I heard she was born, and grew up here in Wellington. She told me her age. “Sixty this year – you know, it’s the new forty!” I believe her.
Her name is Optenhorst. Vineyard C1, according to our Wine and Spirits Board. She`s single (as in single vineyard unit) and by research done by the Chenin Blanc Association and also by Rosa Kruger, she is one of the oldest.
She`s a striking lady, and I feel honoured to know her…
Interesting news last week was a lot of writing about natural wines and cases in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa where wines have had problems getting through export panels (here in South Africa called the Wine and Spirits Board). Read Jamie Goode’s perspective on his blog here.
These wine were usually made in new innovative ways, and or more traditional ways resulting in wines that were “different”.
At Bosman Family Vineyards we have had the same experience with one of our wines. Called Liquid Gold by our Wine Club members, it went through a round of rejection before we could start selling it. The wine was ready for bottling when our Swiss importers came for their yearly visit. They demanded a shipment on the spot, and we were happy to comply. The following week the wine was rejected.
Said wine (a mere 2600 x 750ml) is made from one of the most awesome wine regions in South Africa – the Upper-Hemel-en-Aarde ward, near Hermanus. It is a 2010 blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. With a lovely golden hue and secondary flavours from being fermented and matured in oak – it definitely looked different than a Rose. It was obviously also not a Blanc de Noir.
After a kind letter of explaining what the thinking was behind the wine and with good, clean analysis the wine was passed in the end.
Another wine which also has a ranging track record in regards to approval is the “Coffee Pinotage” style. As a student getting involved with this wine style in 2003 at Diemersfontein and then subsequently in other cellars it has happened time and again that this style is not always looked upon favourably by the individual tasters in these panels. This while, as a wine style, it has clearly been accepted by a greater group of consumers.
Interesting how these “different” wines usually are the ones with a following. As a winemaker I have however always felt that the Wine and Spirits Board has given the wine the benefit of the doubt, in the end. Long live progressive thinking in regards to wine and wine styles.
Cheers!
*Disclamer: Writer is married to winemaker Bertus “Starbucks” Fourie to whom the “Coffee Style Pinotage” is attributed.
Writing takes up way too much time, so here is this morning in some pictures, and a clip.
Early morning pressing is just the most vibrant process of the day. I get to taste the juice, get my head around what I want to do with it. You really do get a feel for it! Here pictured our press and sorting conveyor.
Press ready to roll
Conveyor cleaned and ready
Buckle up – here is the action
The little YouTube clip shows how the grapes (from the cold storage room) in offloaded onto the conveyor. All things other than lovely bunches are removed here. Then it goes through the de-stemmer. This is collected in the bin. So the product you are seeing is just the clean stalks which will be taken away. The grapes are then off to the press.
Will keep you updated, but in the meanwhile raise a glass on Harvest 2012!
We have had one awesome week in harvesting grapes. As mentioned in the previous post, we started off with a cooler, overcast, week. I think this was what the vineyards were waiting for to show its true colours and flavours. The Chenin blanc came in extremely pretty. See Jan Bosman sampling these grapes on his morning walk with George, the rescue Basset hound. News from the Bosman kitchen says that Jan enjoyed the grapes so much that he skipped breakfast.
Getting to the subject of this post, see the pictures below to see the pressed juice and then the settled juice. One of the most visual processes in the cellar. Love it.
When the grapes are pressed it results in the lovely green, cloudy juice. After settling over 48hours we are left with the beautiful clear juice. I will be adding yeast later today – and then we are singing.
This brings me to the video clip you can see on YouTube. It shows our MCC Steen 2012 in the making, fermenting away. This in turn is one of the most audible signs that harvest is in full swing.
Looking back in my notes for 2011, by today – last year, we had taken in our Chardonnay vineyards and the first bit of Chenin blanc for our Adama White blend. This year I have only taken in one barrel worth of old bushvine Chenin without irrigation, which in the heat wave two weeks ago, wouldn’t have made it. And then also the Chenin blanc for our base wine.
This is the view from my office this morning: Cloudy and overcast, but a bit humid.
So we’ve been to the vineyards and what an exciting morning! The Chenin Blanc looks lovely (sun kissed, freckled, sweet but with a lovely level of tartness). See the picture below. I can only imagine what it’s going to look like in the press.
And then for the highlight of the morning – Pinotage testing! The vineyard in question is the same one used by Wellington Wines for their La Cave Pinotage – a wine that has earned them a spot in the inaugural Top 20 Pinotage Classification. It is also the vineyard from where the grapes came for our Top100SAWines lauded Pinotage 2009 and the Cape blend “Erfenis” 2010.
I learnt something new about our viticulturist today. Except for his acute fine eye for detail – he does not like snakes. He spotted the skin of an enormous snake between the rows in our Pinotage vineyard. Luckily at that point we had made up our minds about the grapes. Here is a picture of a part of its tail that fell off when I picked it up. Nice to know our vineyards are bustling with the sounds and the signs of nature.
According to Wikipedia, in human context, a family (from Latin: familia) is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. Here at Bosman Family Vineyards it’s all about family. Eight generations worth!
Hermanus Bosman arrived in South Africa in 1707 as a sieketrooster (consoler of the sick). Fast forward a few decades and grandson, Pieter Bosman came to Wellington to buy cart horses from famous breeder, ‘Lang Kootjie’ Malan of Lelienfontein.
The Bosman’s story is a love-story – Pieter followed the advice of ‘Lang Kootjie’ and bought the farm next to Lelienfontein. Pieter also fell in love and married ‘Lang Kootjie’s’ daughter, Isabella, and on her father’s retirement, Pieter bought Lelienfontein.
Today we are awaiting the birth of Petrus Bosman, second son to Petrus and Carla Bosman, who with his brother Jan – in effect, are the ninth generation on Lelienfontein.
I`m grateful for the little team of winemakers an viticulturists that will most surely be put to good use in school holidays in the near future. In 2010 when Jan was born, we got our new press. Petrus`s arrival on the farm will coincide with the grapes for our MCC Steen coming in to the cellar. Enough reason for celebration…
Three generations. The late Petrus Bosman Senior with his son Jan Bosman and the young guns: Pieter-Daniel, Jannie and Petrus Bosman
Today was a great breather from the warmer weather we have been experiencing the last few days. We were very interested to see what the heat`s influence was on our grape`s analysis so this morning we started sampling and testing!
In the photo below, we are testing our Chenin Blanc from a vineyard called Driehoek (or Triangle vineyard). Some of the plantings in this vineyard date back to 1963 and 1979, which makes it quite humbling (note the winemaker and viticulturist not even being a twinkle in our parent’s eyes in those years).
As said in the previous post we had experienced some cloudy weather during flowering, so to make sure that we get samples that paints the best possible clear picture – we are using bunch samples this year.
Results on this vineyard show that we did not have a significantly higher rise in sugar in the last few days, but we did lose a small bit of valuable acidity. Still have a few days before these grapes do come in. In the meanwhile, we will be dreaming of the lovely granny smith and honeysuckle notes released from these little berries. Bliss…
Join Our Wine Club